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The orientation of the central chains strongly
suggests that White should launch a kingside
attack with f2f4, g2g4 and f4f5,
sometimes with the aid of h2h4h5, while
Black should do the same on the queenside
(...a7a5, ...b7b5b4). White disposes of
more files for the attack on "his" wing,
which yields more of consistence to his
attack, but on the other hand Black's attack is
less time consuming, since it focuses on a
narrower area and involves less pawn
moves. But these are abstract considerations
only and the evaluation of the mutual
chances for success depends on many
concrete factors.
In the present article I will try to highlight
some curiosities regarding the attacks on
opposite wings. which may seem to go a bit
against the common sense.
FIDE Surveys Mihail Marin
Geller E. : Seirawan Y.
Phillips and Drew London, 1982
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.Nf3
b6 6.Bd2 Bxc3 7.Bxc3 a5 8.h4 Qd7 9.h5 h6
10.Bd2 Ba6 11.Bxa6 Nxa6 12.00 a4
13.Nh4 c5 14.Qg4 Rg8 15.c3 Nc7 16.Be3
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Black has achieved certain strategic goals
with the minor piece exchanges in the
previous phase of the game, but is slightly
underdeveloped and faces some problems
maintaining the tension in the centre.
Yasser's next move must have come as a
surprise for his legendary opponent.
16...c4!
With the a-pawn just one step back, this
could be considered the start of the standard
attack based on ...b6b5b4. The way it is, it
allows White to freeze the queenside:
17.a3?!
Geller wrongly assumed that he would have
the better chances if the fight was restricted
to one wing only.
It would have been wiser to keep both wings
1
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19...g5!
Under different circumstances (with the
white king on b1, for instance), this would
leave Black with chronic pawn weaknesses.
The way it is, the pawns gladly display their
natural tendency to advance (described by
Nimzovich in a suggestive way) before
being blocked, since their eventual loss
would clear files for the attack.
FIDE Surveys Mihail Marin
Grischuk A. : Vaganian R.
Fuegen 2006
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In his aim to restrict the black counterplay,
White has placed some of his pieces on far
from optimal squares. The rook's position on
a2 does not require detailed comments. The
bishop went to d3 in order to keep the e2
square free for the c3knight for the case of
an exchange on d4, but is rather exposed
there. These elements offer Black the
possibility to block the centre under
acceptable circumstances, given that White
will need several tempi to retrieve his
coordination.
11...c4 12.Be2 Ne7
With the white pawn on f4 already, Black
cannot think of launching a massive kingside
attack. Instead, he should aim for a blockade
on light squares; the knight manoeuvre is the
first step to it.
13.00 h5 14.Bd1
White initiates his long regrouping, lasting
for about 7 moves.
14...Nf5 15.Bf2 Be7 16.Ne2 Nf8!?
A somewhat mysterious move. The first
thing that comes up to mind is that Black
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It may seem as if Black prepared the
standard ...b5b4 attack, although his
knights placement does not fit into this plan
too well. Had White understood his
opponent's real intentions, he might have
considered playing 18.b3, keeping the
tension on both wings, with reasonable
chances for a long term advantage. Instead,
he continued regrouping, which is actually
the same kind of inaccuracy as that
committed by Geller in the previous game.
18.Bc2 a4!
In principle, it would have also made sense
to prevent Bxf5 followed by Bh4 with
18...Qd8 , but this is a counter-developing
move which may have induced White to
choose the right plan of opening the
queenside with 19.b3!
19.Raa1
19.Bxf5 exf5 20.Bh4 is not too dangerous in
fact. While carrying out a favourable
exchange, it also improves the
communication between Black's wings:
FIDE Surveys Mihail Marin
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White starts preparing the attack based on g4
and f5, but will never get to carry it out, as a
consequence of Black's good regrouping.
20...Nh6 21.Rae1 Kd7!
Under the given circumstances, this is a
much faster way of evacuating the king than
castling long.
22.h3 Kc6 23.Kg2 Kb7 24.Nh2
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Finally, White threatens g3g4.
4
24...f5!
Cutting the Gordian knot by one stroke.
25.exf6
This looks like the only way to keep
fighting, but it actually offers Black
excellent prospects. The e6pawn is well
defended (the f8knight!) and the h6knight
gets a free access to e4.
Of course, White could have immediately
forced a draw with h3h4, blocking the
position completely, but preparing a long
plan based on the king's transfer to b1 and
g3g4 would not have been realistic. For
instance: 25.Be3 (Parrying ...g5) 25...Nh7
26.Nf3?! h4! and Black takes over the
initiative.
25...gxf6 26.f5!?
Thematic but insufficient.
26...Nxf5 27.Bxf5 exf5 28.Nf4 Bd6 29.Nf3
Bxf4 30.gxf4
30.Qxf4 Ng6 31.Qe3 f4 32.gxf4 Bf5
30...Ng6
This is an open invitation to a draw.
30...Ra6!? followed by ...Re6 would have
retained better chances for Black.
31.Nh4 Nxh4+
1/2
I do not believe that the apparent reversal of
parts featured by these examples does shake
Phillidor's axiom in any way. It just takes a
deeper understanding of the subtleties
regarding the pawn structure in general to
make the games fit into the general concept.